Skyhayze
by Skyhayze
Summary: Skyhayze and Xyla romp and play their way through life as puppies, but the more they become inseparable, the more the outside world threatens them. Soon, their safe little bubble is popped, and they are introduced to the harsh world of life.


The night was streaked with the cries of the pack. The Alpha's mate had just giving birth to a healthy batch of pups. There were six of them. All boys except for the runt, it was a girl. Alpha was worried, every time one of his mates had had a girl, something unfortunate always happened and the daughter always died. The fact that the she-pup was the runt only added onto his worries. But the sight of the squirming bodies swept away the worry and left room for only happiness, a crazy happiness that nearly broke his old heart into two. Alpha sat outside and howled until his throat was dry and cracked, long after the others had stopped. When he came back into the den, all of them were sound asleep. Alpha gazed down fondly upon his pups, drinking in the sight of the bulging bellies full of milk and the little eyes and ears that were sealed tightly shut. One of his pups whimpered, and he silently reassured it with a small lick. He decided it was time to name them all, starting with the largest he-pup. "Carsun," he decided. He had learned that the word "car" was the two-legger word for some giant monster, and the sun was bright. The name suited him well. He would probably be the next alpha. After naming all of the he-pups, Alpha stopped before the she-pup. He had already used up all the honorable, good names that he could think up of on all of his dead pups, and it didn't feel fair to name her after one of them. "Sky" he decided. "Like the upwards. Like the pack" Each pack was identified by something, so Sky was the title on their pack. Alpha had thought of using the name before but something had always held him back. Maybe it was for this reason. So he took his chance and named her Skyhayze, willing this little pup to be strong, willing this runt to be a winner.

Sky yawned. Great. She had fallen asleep on top of the den again. Carefully, step by step she made her way down, but she slipped, and tumbled off the top of the den. Sky yelped in surprise. Nitro, her father, came skittering around the corner.  
"Oh gosh, Aya, are you okay?" Aya was just another nickname.  
"Yeah daddy, I just fell," Sky looked up into her dad's worried eyes and giggled, "You're always so scared daddy." Sky scampered around to the other side of the den and busied herself with a worm that was writhing in a puddle left from a spring shower. But every time she tried to pick it up, it always slipped out of her mouth, wiggling and twisting.  
"Daddy, can you help me pick up this worm?" Sky asked seriously. Nitro laughed.  
"Sweetie, I will do anything for you but where would you take the worm?" As Sky thought about the matter, a howl came to her ears. She looked up and Nitro was standing stiffly, hackles raised.  
"Please no! I'll be good, I promise! Please, just let me come with you guys, please!" the sound of the sobbing was so unnerving that Sky hid behind her dad, tense.  
"Oh! Please!" the voice said again. It was followed by a desperate wail. In all of Nitro's years, he had never heard a wail as desperate, sad and alone as the one he heard that day.  
"Daddy, their coming this way!" Sky urgently whispered. Whoever was coming was downwind from them, so they couldn't quite determine who it was. Sky thought that she had heard that voice somewhere, the one that was oddly old for her age, the quiet one... With a final lonely moan, the couple was visible. Sky remembered now, it was Xyla, that girl from hunting class that was always made fun of and teased. Of course, she never went down without a fight, and it didn't look like anything bothered her much. But as Sky looked into those gray eyes, she could just sense that something more than picking up a worm was happening inside that head. She had always acting much more mature than she was, and her idea of fun was very bent out of shape.  
"Ah, Xylon, you gave me quite a fright there my friend," Nitro chuckled. He immediately relaxed and accepted the bow that Xylon gave him.  
"Most honorable sir, with the most greatest of respect and humiliation, I ask you humbly and kindly and-"  
"Just get on with it lad!" Nitro exclaimed.  
"Yes sir. Right sir. I understand sir. Now, you are the last person I can turn to my sir, for everyone else has turned me down and I have no other choice sir-" Xylon began.  
"Pff, yeah ya do," Xyla interrupted so rudely that even Sky had to gasp. And that language! Right in front of the alpha too! Well, that earned a cold hard glare from Nitro and a very sharp nip from Xylon. Had Xyla been older, he would have not tolerated it. But the alpha understood little ones, having six of his own right now, and being very experienced with them in the past. So he just sighed and went on.  
"Go on Xylon," Nitro said boredly.  
"Well you see sir, it's almost hunting season, as you have noticed, and I aim to go together with my mate this year," Xylon explained. "And well, I don't have anyone to watch my daughter during that time, and well," Xylon lowered his voice a bit, "you know why everyone is refusing. So I thought if you could watch her most honorable sir, maybe whip her into shape sir, well it would be better for all of us yes?" Xylon looked at the alpha with pleading eyes.  
"Isn't there others?" Nitro asked. Almost shamefully, Xylon said, "Well yes sir. Her brothers and sisters are coming hunting this year. And well, she isn't quite hunting material, even at five months." Sky looked at the little black dog cowering underneath her father. Five months! That small? Nitro sighed.  
"Well, I guess I don't really have a choice do I? Very well, I'll watch her while you are gone," Nitro said.  
"Thank you sir, you are the most kind, honest, good hearted-" Xylon began.  
"For Pete's sake just go before I change my mind!" Nitro cried. The dog was staying with them. Well, well, well. Thought Sky. Did she know that they would change the world together? Well, of course not. No one actually knows that they will change the world, they just happen to. Sky would learn though, and she would grow and as she grew she changed the world, little bits at first, like when your growing and you can't see it but over time it gets obvious that something is happening...


End file.
